Some bikes are surrounded by a mystical aura, and the Pinarello Dogma F10 is one of them. But what is this multiple Tour de France-winner really capable of? We had the chance to test a € 11,000 Pinarello Dogma F10 with SRAM/Zipp spec on the legendary mountain passes of the Dolomites.

Thanks to a number of special features, the Dogma is recognisable straight away. The first trademark is the ONDA F10 fork. (Onda is Italian for wave.) The F10 is an revised version of the fork you’d find on the previous Dogma version, the F8. The new fork features aerodynamic fins, called fork flaps, on the dropouts.

Pinarello F10 | 6.84 kg | € 11,000

Pinarello Dogma F10 in detail

With its organic and muscular design, the Pinarello frame reminds us of a badass Italian sports car. The Dogma F10 has been aerodynamically optimized to increase speed and designed asymmetrically to allow for better power transmission and balance. One more interesting feature is the 3XAir system, which allows you to attach a second water bottle in two different positions.

Drivetrain: Sram Red eTap
Brakes: Sram Red
Ratio: 50/34 – 11/28
Wheels: Zipp 303 Firecrest
Tires: Vittoria Corsa 23c

The 3XAir System allows you to attach a second water bottle in two different positions
Sporty and sexy: the Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels in combination with the grippy 23 mm Vittoria Corsa tires
Excellent: intuitive shifting performance with the SRAM Red eTap
Gold Digger: the design of our test bike covers the entire frame set and reflects the price of € 11,000

Our test bike came complete with a SRAM/Zipp spec. With this, the Italians rely on wireless SRAM Red eTap shifting technology and a Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Clincher wheelset. A set of SRAM Red rim brakes take care of the braking. Clever stuff: the Think2 system features entry ports which work with both electronic and mechanical groupsets. Narrow 23 mm Vittoria Corsa tires glue the Pinarello to the road. Other components, such as the seatpost and carbon cockpit, are from Pinarello’s in-house brand MOST.

The bestseller of Treviso’s traditional manufacturer is available in various versions — we tested the standard Dogma F10 model.

The Dogma F10 X-Light is a lighter version of the F10. Thanks to a special manufacturing process and the matte black finish it weighs around 160 g less than the Dogma F10, depending on frame size. Team Sky rides this lighter version of the F10. The Dogma K10 is the more comfortable all-round version. The less racy geometry allows for a smoother ride, and the increased tire clearance allows for tires of up to 28 mm. The K10-S model is also available with a damper between the seat stays and seat tube — the first choice for spring classics with nasty cobblestone. The name of the Pinarello Dogma F10 disc model is self-explanatory. This version features state-of-the-art through-axles and the flat mount disc- standard.

The Dogma F10 is available in a total of thirteen sizes and a number of finishes and specs. If you want, you can choose your own custom paint job using Pinarello’s MyWay program — this will set you back an extra € 700.

The Geometry

Size 420 470 540 560 620
Seat tube 420 mm 470 mm 540 mm 560 mm 620 mm
Top tube 498 mm 525 mm 550 mm 565 mm 620 mm
Head tube 105 mm 125 mm 147 mm 165 mm 255 mm
Head angle 69.2° 71.4° 72.8° 73.2° 73.4°
Seat angle 74.4° 74.0° 73.4° 73.0° 72.0°
Chainstay 406 mm 406 mm 406 mm 408 mm 411 mm
BB Drop 67 mm 72 mm 72 mm 72 mm 67 mm
Reach 351 mm 373 mm 386 mm 391 mm 410 mm
Stack 493 mm 525 mm 550 mm 569 mm 651 mm
Helmet Kask Protone | Glasses Oakley Jawbreaker | Jersey Huez Inverse Rock Jersey | Bib Shorts Isadore Men Bib-Shorts

Test: The Pinarello Dogma F10 in the Dolomites

Considering the weight of 6.84 kg in a size 52 and its high-end spec, the F10 is light but definitely not the lightest bike you can buy. By now you should know that we aren’t too fussed about weight, and that in our opinion racing bikes have to be a lot more than just light. The breathtaking mountain passes of the Alta Badia region include a number of very different scenarios: steep climbs with good gradients, long high-speed descents, a few narrow corners, and fast-hitting serpentines. On top of that, the long winter scarred the roads badly. This means lots of potholes and rough tarmac!

Our test bike features a narrow 400 mm handlebar and 120 mm-long stem combined with a rather small frame — with my 178 cm height I feel like a pro on it. The compact, sporty riding position makes you feel like you’re driving an aggressive racing car. From the first pedal stroke the Dogma F10 accelerates eagerly, and once it gets up to speed it runs efficiently and willingly.

 On rough tarmac you’ll notice that comfort is subjective and definitely defined by pros in the case of the F10.

The short offset of the fork combined with the relatively steep head angle of 72.8° makes for agile and direct handling. It’s a dream uphill and on the flats, but lacks some stability on the downhill. Especially in high speed sections with side winds you might wish for a more stable front, especially because the 303 wheels are not even that deep at 45 mm! If you’re after a more relaxed, confidence-inspiring downhill ride you should consider the Dogma K10 instead. This features a slacker head angle and a longer offset.

The stiff chassis carves around corners with clinical precision and the 23 mm narrow Vittoria tires offer outstanding grip – however, a set of wider 25 mm tires would make you feel a little more confident and increase comfort. With 25 mm tire clearance, the F10 chassis is on the stingy side. On rough tarmac you’ll notice that comfort is subjective and definitely defined by pros in the case of the F10. What pros consider to be comfortable seems sometimes really stiff for common mortals. The braking performance of the SRAM Red rim brakes in combination with the Zipp 303 Firecrest is OK — but there is room for more power, and obviously you can’t compare it to disc brakes.

Our thoughts

All in all, the multiple Tour de France-winner is a full-blooded pro bike. The handling, comfort, and also the price tag of € 11,000 are not for beginners either — rather for experts or true enthusiasts. The spec and geometry remind us of a classic racer. If you’re looking for an honest, very stiff and direct all-rounder for occasional or even ambitious racing, now you can follow the footsteps of Team Sky. If you are looking for a prestigious, comfortable all-rounder with dominant racing genes for long rides, the Pinarello Dogma F10 isn’t your best choice — you should take a look at the Dogma K10 instead.

Strenghts

+ Stiff and agile frameset
+ Sram Red eTap drivetrain with intuitive shifting
+ Zipp 303 with great overall performance

Weaknesses

– harsh riding experience due to 23 mm wide tires
– compact geometry results in aggressive handling – that’s not for everyone


More Info: pinarello.com

This article is from GRAN FONDO issue #009

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Words: Robin Schmitt Photos: Robin Schmitt, Klaus Irsara